She couldn't sleep, staring at the ceiling of her room, thinking about everything her mother had said, while Jaws snored at the foot of the bed. She didn't want to admit her mother was right. It was true that the lords wouldn't accept her behavior. Not because it was wrong, but because they had closed minds. Many of their daughters were raised only to marry and bear children, and they aspired to nothing more. Some couldn't even read or write, but they were quiet and submissive, everything a lord desired. They just wanted a woman who would be another piece of furniture in the house and would give them male heirs to inherit their lands. She was grateful to her parents for allowing her to be herself. They had come to an agreement where she let her septa teach her what a lady was supposed to learn, even though she struggled with most things, and in return, her parents let her go on her escapades to the sea and supplement her education with the training she desired.

Once her father had tried to discourage her by sending her as a cabin boy on a whaling ship. Rhaenys disagreed with the idea, as her daughter would be surrounded only by men for the duration of the journey. Corlys enlisted her on a short expedition and placed Brego as the captain to keep an eye on Alyssa. They would spend only a week at sea, preparing and teaching the new cabin boys. Brego might have been there to protect the girl's virtue, but that didn't mean he would treat her differently or handle her with kid gloves. The sailor showed her no mercy; he made her work just as hard or even harder than the others, trying to wipe the smile off the young girl's face, an order given by his friend. However, nothing could extinguish her happiness. Not hard work, not the foul smell of the ship, not sleeping in a dirty and uncomfortable hammock – none of it could erase Alyssa's joy.

No one treated her like a lady, and she loved that. Maybe at first the sailors didn't agree to have a woman on board, though they loved having Jaws on the ship, as he caught the rats in the hold. But everything changed on the fifth day of the voyage. She was having dinner, with Jaws lying at her feet, when the dog sat up, ears raised.

"What's wrong, boy? Did you hear something?" she asked, standing up to scan the horizon.

She didn't know why she did it, she just followed her instinct. She left her plate on the floor and climbed up onto the railing. Holding onto a rope, she focused on the water's surface and without thinking, she sang a few notes into the air. The sailors and the captain looked at her strangely, but they were surprised when they heard the response of a spout as it broke the water's surface. The young girl smiled and repeated the same sound, not stopping even during the hunt for the cetacean. Not when Brego handed her a bucket and told her to remove the rest of the whalebone from the animal, as she was the smallest crew member and could fit through the hole. And she continued to smile when, at the end of the week, they returned to port, singing loudly with the rest of the crew, who had nicknamed her the "lucky siren."

"Soon may the Wellerman come 

To bring us sugar and tea and rum 

One day, when the tonguing is done 

We'll take our leave and go"

Corlys Velaryon regretted enlisting his daughter on the whaling ship as soon as he saw her disembark, smiling and happy. She smelled of whale from miles away and couldn't stop singing that little song, a tune her father would end up despising.

"I'm sorry, my friend. I've tried everything I could think of," he said, placing a hand on Corlys's shoulder to offer condolences. "But she's unbreakable."

Alyssa got out of bed, waking up the dog, who was sleeping peacefully. Poor Jaws fell off the bed, knocking a few things over in the process. She prayed that no one had heard it. She dressed quickly and left the bedroom, followed by the dog. The door of the room, which once belonged to her sister, opened and startled her. On the other side, her two nieces looked at her in confusion; it was too early to be awake.

"Where are you going?" Rhaena asked, still somewhat sleepy.

"I..." Alyssa began, debating whether to lie or not. "I'm going swimming."

Baela looked out the window; the sky was still dark, but dawn was approaching. Without thinking, she grabbed her aunt's hand to prevent her from leaving.

"Can we come with you?" Baela asked excitedly, eager to embark on an adventure.

"Do you know how to swim?" her aunt inquired, to which both girls nodded.

Laughter filled the field by the beach as three girls dressed as boys ran around, with Jaws chasing after them, playing. For the first time, the twins ignored the presence of the dragons and followed their aunt toward the beach. Together, they pushed the boat into the water, and even with the added weight, Alyssa rowed to the reef without complaint. She dropped a small anchor into the water just as the sun began to appear on the horizon. She started rolling up her pants and loosening her shirt when she noticed her nieces imitating her actions. With a smile, she tied a bag around her waist and slipped a knife into it. She watched as the twins hesitated by the water's edge.

"At first, it's a little cold, but you'll get used to it quickly," she said, standing up and extending a hand to each niece.

They took her hands and stood up, laughing nervously at the boat's swaying. Amid their giggles, they jumped into the water, and as they surfaced, the sun bathed their wet platinum hair. They played in the water, jumping from the boat over and over, splashing each other, or swimming alongside Jaws. At one point, the twins lost sight of their aunt, who had submerged. Floating with her head underwater, taking breaths as needed, Baela and Rhaela watched Alyssa enjoy her element. The rumors circulating in the fortress were true; the young girl seemed like a mermaid.

With her legs together and arms outstretched, Alyssa gracefully descended with serpentine movements to the bottom of the reef. She relished the slow descent, the water filtering through her hair, and the colors shimmering around her. The twins watched as she searched for something on the seabed, placed it in her bag, and then smiled as she propelled herself back to the surface effortlessly. Looking at the sun, she estimated her position and realized it was time to return to the fortress.

"Let's go," she signaled for them to get back into the boat. "We need to go back before the old folks kill us."

"What did you find?" Rhaena asked, curious.

"You'll see," she replied mysteriously.

Back in the boat, the sisters took up the oars, watching as Alyssa opened some oysters and searched through their flesh. Proudly, she showed them the pearls she had obtained. Swiftly, she began working, taking out her materials from a bag she kept in the boat. By the time they reached the shore, she had skillfully threaded the two pearls onto wire and offered them as a gift. It would be the perfect pendant for a necklace.

Amid laughter, they returned to the fortress, trying to be stealthy. She let her nieces go in first, followed by Jaws, hoping no one had noticed. A few shadows appeared in the sky as she entered the hall, catching her attention. The black sails of a ship seemed to be outlined. The guests for her sister's funeral would arrive in a couple of hours; she needed to go to her room and prepare to become someone she wasn't, at least for a few hours. She sighed once before heading to her room.

Inside, Fauces was lying in front of the fireplace, and a bathtub of hot water awaited her in the center of the room. Disinterestedly, she closed the door, undressed along the way, and slowly submerged herself in the scalding water. She picked up the soap and lathered her hair, glancing at the dress left in a corner. It was a dark blue dress with long, sheer sleeves and silver embroidery. Next to it lay a veil of the same material as the sleeves. She loathed it; it represented something she wasn't.

Taking a deep breath and submerging herself in the water, she stared at the ceiling through the liquid until her lungs burned. She emerged from the water, her long curly hair dripping. After drying off and once the water had cooled enough, she bathed Jaws as well. If she had to dress up as someone she wasn't, her loyal friend wouldn't be left out.

She had bathed, dried off, and put on her undershirt when a maid entered her room to style her hair. Alyssa remained silent, watching the maid work through the mirror. The skilled girl began braiding and arranging the braids into a beautiful hairstyle, finishing by placing gray pearls that Alyssa had obtained and threaded herself. The maid helped her dress and left the room when her work was done. Alyssa looked at herself in the mirror, hardly recognizing herself; she was far from her comfort zone in that dress. Resigned, she looked at Jaws, who was looking at her with his tongue hanging out and head tilted to the side. She couldn't help but laugh at her dog's silly expression. She picked up a blue ribbon from her dressing table and tied it around her neck. If she had to dress elegantly, Jaws wouldn't be left behind either. She looked at both of them in the mirror, giving her best friend a sarcastic look as she put on the veil that covered her face.

"Let's get this charade over with."

The fortress doors were closed, and her family stood in formation in front of them. Her father and mother were in the center. A bit farther back, to the right of her father, was her uncle. Her nieces stood behind their parents, and their father stood behind them, completing the formation. To the left of her mother, at the same height as her uncle, there was a reserved seat for her. With determination, she tried to walk as her septa had taught her. Jaws followed her without protest, sitting at her side when she took her place. Her mother smiled at her, pleased that Alyssa had listened.

"Good to see you, niece. Who would've thought you could pass for a lady?" Vaemond spoke   with a teasing tone. "But did you really have to bring the dog?"

"Jaws goes where I go," she said, frowning.

"I hope you know how to behave properly and not embarrass us," her uncle chimed in, brushing an imaginary speck of dust off his doublet.

"The same goes for you; don't make a fool of yourself pretending to be the lord of the place just because you've been allowed to officiate the funeral," Alyssa said innocently.

"I see you have a sharp tongue," Damon chuckled, looking at the indignant Vaemon that everyone else was ignoring. 

"My daughter doesn't need anyone to speak for her," Rhaenys said proudly. "You should see her haggling with the sailors; she always gets the best deals."

Corlys cleared his throat; it wasn't the time to encourage her behavior now that they had managed to get her into a dress and try to act like a lady. He loved his daughter, but he knew that no one would want to marry her if they knew her in all her glory. He had been stalling King's marriage proposal for years, hoping to straighten her out before having to accept it, but time was passing, and Alyssa was drifting further away from what was expected of a lady.

"You look beautiful, daughter. That dress suits you very well. I'm sure we'll receive offers from a few suitors," he tried to cheer her up; his wife shook her head at his poorly chosen words.

"Father," Alyssa's voice was icy, "if you don't want me to turn around and leave, I suggest you don't finish that sentence."

A servant burst into the entrance of the fortress, announcing that the king's procession had just arrived in the courtyard.

"Open the doors," Corlys Velaryon commanded.

Alyssa gave one last glance to the hall and patted Jaws's head, who was sitting beside her for support. She looked at her nieces, noticing the pearls she had threaded hanging around their necks. The sunlight streamed in through the doors, and she closed her eyes as she let out one last sigh. She focused on what she had to do, on how she had to behave. She gathered her courage, squared her shoulders, lifted her head, and began walking behind her parents, followed by Jaws, heading toward what would undoubtedly be a nightmare.

***

There's not much time left for the two families to reunite... Let's hope Alyssa can make it out of this alive. 😂